The bell signaling the end of class rang, its melodious tone feeling like a liberation for Arian. Whispers and the rustle of closing books immediately filled the amphitheater. Arian packed his belongings with deliberately slow movements, as if bearing the heavy weight of his public failure.
"Hey," Zaken whispered, leaning in close, his voice full of sympathy. "Don't think too much about it. Professor Kaelen is hard on everyone."
"He has a reason to be hard on me," Arian countered with a pathetic-sounding sigh. "You saw it yourself. I can't even make a Lumen."
"You just need more practice!" Zaken said with unshakable optimism. "I can help you after school. We can go to the training grounds and—"
"Please, Efasa," Lianne's cynical voice interrupted as she walked past their row. "You can't polish a stone into a gemstone. Some people are just born without talent. Just accept it and don't waste your time." She shot Arian a condescending glance before striding out of the room.
Arian hung his head, playing his part as the shamed nobleman. Inside, Kayze took note. Lianne's contempt was useful. The more people looked down on him, the thicker and stronger his camouflage became.
As they stepped out into the bustling corridor, Zaken put an arm around Arian's shoulder. "Just ignore her. Next class is Practical Elemental Magic with Professor Vance. She's much nicer than Kaelen. You'll feel better for sure."
Arian could only hope internally that 'nicer' didn't also mean 'more observant'.
The Practical Elemental Magic classroom was vastly different from the stiff theory hall. It was more like a giant greenhouse combined with a laboratory. On one side, there were clear pools of water. On another, there were patches of fertile soil with various types of magical plants. In the center stood fire-resistant stone workbenches, each with a bronze bowl on top. The ceiling was made of enchanted glass that automatically regulated the temperature and humidity.
The professor leading this class was also the antithesis of Kaelen. Professor Elara Vance was a young woman with strawberry-blonde hair tied in a ponytail and green eyes filled with spirit and optimism. She greeted every student with a warm smile as they entered.
"Good morning, everyone! Good morning, Arian, Zaken!" she greeted cheerfully. "Find a spot and get ready! Today, we're going to play with the basics!"
Arian and Zaken took a spot at one of the workbenches in the back. Verina, of course, chose a desk in the front row, alone. She seemed to blend in with the calm and controlled environment, as if the elements themselves respected her.
"Alright, class!" Professor Vance clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "As we know, every mage has an affinity, a natural closeness, with one or more elements. Today, your task is simple: feel that connection. Choose a station—water, earth, or fire—and try to perform the most basic interaction."
The students immediately dispersed. Lianne arrogantly walked to the water station, clearly wanting to show off her ice magic. Zaken patted Arian's shoulder. "I'm heading to the fire station. It's my secondary element. Which one do you want to try?"
Arian looked around with a feigned expression of confusion. Choices, choices, he thought. Which failure would be the most amusing? Water offers the potential for getting soaked. Fire could result in embarrassing smoke. And earth... oh, earth offers the potential for dramatic flora death. Let's start with water. It's a classic.
"I'll... I'll try water," Arian said hesitantly.
He walked to the edge of one of the small pools. The water was so clear he could see the colorful pebbles at the bottom. The task was to use magic to lift a fist-sized glob of water and make it hover.
He crouched, extending his hand over the water's surface. He closed his eyes, pretending to concentrate. Inside, his brain worked at lightning speed, calculating complex equations. To make this water jump into my face, I need to apply an unstable upward force vector to the bottom of the water mass, while simultaneously creating a low-pressure zone right in front of my face. Easy.
"Focus on the feeling of the water, Arian," Professor Vance's encouraging voice sounded from behind him. "Feel its flowing energy."
Arian nodded slowly. He felt the water's energy—pure, malleable, and powerful. He could have easily commanded it to form a giant water dragon. But that wasn't in the script.
He applied his magic.
SPLASH
A glob of water the size of a melon leaped out of the pool with incredible speed and slammed into his face with perfect accuracy. He staggered backward, coughing and sputtering, his soaking wet blond hair plastered to his forehead and eyes. Water dripped from his nose and chin.
The entire class fell silent, then laughter erupted. Even Zaken, who was trying to light a small flame in his palm, jumped in surprise before bursting into laughter. Lianne laughed the loudest, her high-pitched voice ringing out clearly.
The only one not laughing was Verina. However, if anyone had looked closely—very closely—they might have seen the corner of her lips twitch a fraction of a millimeter upwards before returning to a perfect straight line.
"Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed Professor Vance, rushing over to Arian with a towel she had conjured from thin air. "Are you alright, Arian? Don't worry! It happens! It just means your connection with water is a little... overenthusiastic!"
"Looks like it," Arian said nasally, while drying his face. He managed to look utterly pathetic.
"It's okay! Try another one!" Professor Vance didn't give up. "How about fire? Fire is about passion and will! Try to project your will!"
With staged reluctance, Arian moved to a stone workbench. The task was to create a small, stable flame in the bronze bowl. He placed his palm over the bowl, just as Zaken was doing. Zaken had already succeeded in creating an orange ball of fire that danced happily.
Arian concentrated again. Fire. The wildest element. Within me, there is the power to create the fire of a star. So, to fail... I need to summon a minuscule amount of Aether, then choke it off before it can even interact with oxygen. The result should be a pathetic total failure.
He channeled a tiny amount of Aether to his palm.
Pffft.
A small puff of grey smoke escaped from his palm, accompanied by a faint smell like burnt toast. No fire. No sparks. Just a pathetic wisp of smoke.
This time, there was no laughter. There was only an awkward silence. Even Lianne just shook her head with a look of fake pity. Professor Vance looked stumped for the first time.
"Hmm," the professor murmured. "A very... gentle will, yes. Okay! Okay! One more try! The easiest one! I guarantee this will work!"
She led a despairing-looking Arian to the earth station. She handed him a small pot filled with fertile soil. In the middle of it was a magic seed called a 'Life Seed'.
"Look," Professor Vance said with forced enthusiasm. "This seed naturally wants to grow. All you need to do is channel a little bit of your life energy—just a smidgen of Aether—and it will sprout. No complex control, no strong will. Just give it a little push."
This was the ultimate test of his incompetence. To fail at this would cement his status as the greatest magical anomaly in the academy's history. Perfect.
Arian placed both his hands on the pot. He closed his eyes. To kill this plant, I won't just withhold Aether. I'll do the opposite. I'll touch the seed with my magic, open a channel to the Aether, and then forcefully reverse its flow, siphoning the life energy it already possesses. It's cruel, but effective.
He channeled his magic. He could feel the small, pulsating life within the seed, its natural longing to reach for the sun. Then, with a cold, invisible touch, he severed it from its source and drew its energy out.
Before the eyes of the entire class, something impossible happened. The soil in the pot, which had been rich and dark, seemed to pale slightly. And from the center of the soil, a tiny, wilted, brown sprout emerged, then immediately crumbled into dust.
The silence in the room was so total it felt heavy.
Professor Elara Vance stared at the dead pot, then at Arian, then back at the pot. Her perpetual smile finally faltered. Her spirited eyes were now filled with pure confusion. She had seen struggling students. She had seen students with no affinity. But she had never seen a student with a 'negative affinity'—a student whose very presence was a curse to magic itself.
"I-I..." Professor Vance stammered, at a loss for words. "...I suppose... we've discovered something very unique today, Arian."
The bell rang again, signaling the end of the lesson. Arian quickly pulled his hands away from the pot as if it were toxic. "Sorry, Professor," he said in a small voice.
He turned to leave, and that's when he saw her. Reyna, the princess, was looking at him from across the room. But unlike the others, her eyes showed no scorn or pity. There was a slight twinkle of amusement in them, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a small laugh before looking down, her face turning red.
His heart warmed a little. It seemed his 'failure' was not only useful, but also entertaining the right person.
As he left the class, he heard two students whispering behind him.
"By the Emperor, did you see that? He killed a Life Seed."
"I know. Poor Vallen. Got the big name, but absolutely zero talent. He'll probably be the only Vallen in history who will never be 'Named'."
It was music to Arian's ears. He hid his satisfied smile as Zaken came up to him, patting him on the back hesitantly.
"That... that was really bad," Zaken said honestly. "But don't worry! I'll treat you to lunch at the dining hall. It's special caramel pudding day. That can heal even the most wounded of souls!"
Arian finally let a genuine smile show, even if it was Arian's clumsy smile, not Kayze's cold one. "Thanks, Zaken. I think I really need that."
As they walked down the corridor, Arian felt a sense of satisfaction. Two classes, two spectacular failures. His mask was stronger than ever. No one would ever suspect the fool who killed a plant with his touch was the same shadow who stole the power of elites in the night sky.
At least, that was what he hoped.